London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

A surge of people applying for tickets for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has led to delays of up to an hour as one million went on sale.

Within minutes of the application process opening online, a message told users they faced waiting times of around an hour due to "very high" demand.

"We are processing ticket applications as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience during this time," a statement on the website said.

Organisers said the ticketing process is open for four weeks and that all applications will be treated equally.

Ticket prices start at £15 for adults, with discounts for under-16s and over-60s, and Games chiefs have pledged that two-thirds of tickets will be £25 or less.

Tickets for the opening ceremony on Wednesday 23 July cost up to £250 and for the men's 100m final, which could feature Usain Bolt, cost between £15 and £90. For events with a high demand, tickets will be allocated by a "fair and simple draw".

A Glasgow 2014 spokesman said: "The website is up and running and thousands of people are already starting and submitting their applications. Due to the very high levels of demand however, some people may have to queue. It makes no difference whether you apply on the first day, the last or any day in between, as long as your application is completed by 6pm on September 16."

Elite athletes from around the world will travel to Scotland for the 11-day event beginning on July 23.

Olympic silver-medallist swimmer Michael Jamieson marked the start of the ticket applications by plunging into the refurbished pool at the city's Tollcross International Swimming Centre where he hopes to claim gold next year.

A Glasgow 2014 spokeswoman said that organisers are delighted with the response to the first day of the ticketing process and appreciated the patience of online customers. She said: "We have already processed many thousands of applications through our website and continue to do so as quickly as possible. We appreciate the patience shown by customers during periods of high demand. But this is not a sprint - everyone has until September 16 to make their choices and get their applications in and we encourage everyone to get involved in Scotland's biggest-ever festival of world-class sport."